Thursday, 21 August 2014

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- At least 38 Palestinians died on Thursday as Israeli planes bombarded Gaza for the second day in a row after a temporary ceasefire fell apart after weeks of fighting, as the Palestinian negotiations delegation accused Israel of failing to respond to an offer for peace.

The deaths brought the death toll in Israel's nearly 50-day assault on the besieged coastal enclave to at least 2,087, a number that was expected to rise Thursday night as Israeli airstrikes continued pounding targets all over the Strip.

Medical authorities in Gaza say that nearly 10,500 have been injured in the Israeli assault so far, including at least 200 in the last two days, and tens of thousands of who had returned home amid a fragile calm during the temporary ceasefires once again were left fleeing for shelters.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday that around 435,000 Palestinians -- or around one-third of the entire population of Gaza -- had taken refuge in UN shelters. more